Armin Laschet elected leader of Merkel’s CDU party

Centrist Armin Laschet has been elected leader of Germany’s Christian Democrats (CDU), the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mr Laschet, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state, defeated two rivals in the party’s virtual conference.

He is now in a good position in the race to succeed Mrs Merkel when she steps down as German chancellor in September, after 16 years in office.

But he faces a changed political landscape following the Covid pandemic.